


Side effects may include

by Bill_Longbow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 09:03:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12362322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow
Summary: When Tony gets out to get flue medicine he gets more than he bargained for.





	Side effects may include

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fancy_Dragonqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fancy_Dragonqueen/gifts).



> I wrote this as a birthday gift for the lovely fancy_dragonqueen and is pure fluff from start to finish.
> 
> Araydre made beautiful art to go along with the fic, go check out their tumblr, they're amazing!
> 
>  
> 
> [link text ](http://araydre.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you blue_pointer for cheerleading and coming up with the title!

"I dink I'b dyink, Rhodey." He presses the ice pack on his head while simultaneously hugging the warm water bottle closer to his chest, he's pretty sure he's dying.  
  
"You're not dying, Tony, you have a cold, not TB."  
  
"But Bladybus, by brai' feels like it bants to escabe by head. I deed by brai', hoddeybear."  
  
He has to let go of the ice pack to be able to pull the blanket back that was slipping off his shoulders. Why don't they make clasps on these things, this seems like a huge oversight. Maybe Pepper will agree to branch out?  
  
On the holoscreen his best friend is pinching the bridge of his nose, which usually means he will try to reason with him. Silly man, how long have they known each other for now.  
  
"Tones, I'm halfway around the world from you. I can't come and tuck you in."  
  
"I dought you bere by best fred." He tries giving Rhodey his best sad puppy face, but it makes his eyes water and he lets out a huge sneeze that hurts his throat, and head, and stomach. See, nearly dead.  
  
Rhodey gives him a sympathetic look, but it quickly transforms into his 'I know what you're doing and it's not gonna fly with me - eyebrow'. "Just go out and get some dayquil, you'll feel better before you know it. Now, we're headed out in less than five hours and I need my beauty sleep."  
  
He let's out a pitiful sigh. "Okay, sorry to be a boder. Stay save, probise?"  
  
"I will Tony. I'll check in with you when I get back." A wave and Rhodey is gone.  
  
He shivers. Just go out Rhodey said. Like that's easy for someone in his condition. At least people won't recognise him with his splodgy face and glasses. Another horrible sneeze and he's convinced of the merit of Rhodey's plan, he needs painkillers.  
  
He puts down the blanket and warm water bottle, instantly shivering so hard his teeth chatter. Pepper and Happy will never get time off again, ever. They will have to move in. Maybe even together, put a stop to their pining.  
  
He shuffles to the hall where he's left breathless by the act of putting on his shoes and a coat. Or it might be because of his cursing. A baseball cap follows and he is good to go.  
  
The elevator seems to go quicker than it should, pushing all the mucus into his brain. He winces, so long genius brain. Downstairs the doorman is doing crosswords behind his desk and Tony slips by into the revolving door. He'd rather encounter as little people as possible.  
  
Luckily, it's already dark out, and it's relatively quiet. He shuffles the two blocks to the corner store, which takes him about three times longer than it should. Walking isn't really of this century anymore. He should invent proper hoverboards.  
  
It's when he's leaning against the wall catching his breath, while doing calculations on lift and thrust, that he hears the dreaded words:  
  
"Oh my god! You're Tony Stark!" A hot stranger exclaims. "I'm such a huge fan! What you did with the battery on the StarkPhone 4 was amazing, so tiny! I cooed at it!"  
  
Tony has trouble focusing on Hot stranger because his eyes are teary and Hot stranger seems to be wearing too small clothes which accentuate all his muscles. Finally he looks up into a gorgeous face that looks back at him in concern.  
  
"I'b dot Tody Sdark. Sorry."  
  
Hot stranger eyes him critically. "You do look older, more worn out than him."  
  
"Hey! That's the bucus!" He coughs loudly and tries to recover. "I bean, sure, Tody Sdark is buch less…" He waves his hand at his face to underscore what he means. Hot stranger looks at him expectantly.  
  
Another coughing fit leaves him so weak he just slides to the floor.  
  
"Are you okay, mr Stark?" Hot stranger is crouching in front of him.  
  
"I'b dot Tody... Oh for the love of… Do I look okay?"  
  
"You sure don't," Hot stranger assures him.  
  
Removing his glasses he wipes at his eyes. "Well, go od thed, sdap your picdure. You cad ask big modey for id."  
  
"I would never! -- People do that?" Hot stranger seems aghast. "But why?"  
  
Tony shrugs miserably and goes to his knees to stand up. He manages to get erect, only to wobble and tilt to the side. Hot stranger catches him before he falls down.  
  
"Careful. You're in no condition to be outside! Who let you go out like this?" Hot stranger moves so that he's supporting nearly all of Tony's weight.  
  
"Had do ged sobe paidkillers." He makes to move away but Hot stranger holds on, walking with him. They do an awkward four legged shuffle through the doorway and Hot stranger props him up against a counter.  
  
"You wait here and I'll get you your medicine."  
  
Tony wants to protest but he's too tired and the shivers started again, so all he can manage is "dggh" at Hot stranger's back. Tony notices something is off in the other's gait, but his eyes are stinging and he just closes them for a sec.  
  
He wakes with a start when someone clears his throat. Where the hell is this? Ow, why does everything hurt? A somewhat familiar face swims into view. Oh, that's right.  
  
"You shouldn't fall asleep in public, Tony. Not everyone's trustworthy."  
  
"You're a right foundaind of dowledge ared't you?"  
  
Hot stranger smirks, "You have no idea. Here," he holds out a plastic bag which is filled to the brim with god knows what.  
  
"What's dis? I just deed sobeding for by head."  
  
"You need more to get better! I've got you some ibuprofen and dayquil. But you also need to hydrate and eat fruit. I've even found the ingredients needed for a good steam bath."  
  
Hot stranger beams at him proudly. "Dank you hod stradger."  
  
A snort. "No problem. Not trying to be a creep here, but can I walk you home? You look like you'll keel over any second."  
  
It might be an elaborate a ploy for a burglary, but he honestly feels bad enough to not care. "Whadever." He sets off and Hot stranger slips under his arm to support him again.    
  
It's a good thing, too. When they're near the entrance of his building Tony is wheezing and about to pass out. Hot stranger gives the doorman a nod and shoulders Tony into the elevator, pressing the button for the penthouse. When Tony looks at him in question Hot stranger just shrugs. "Figures you'd be in the top floor of your own building?"  
  
It's only then that he notices. "Where's your other arb?"  
  
Hot stranger looks down in surprise. "By golly, I just _knew_ I forgot something this morning." Followed by an eyeroll.  
  
"You're hereby ubgraded to sarcasdic stradger, codgraduladions."  
  
The elevator dings and they shuffle out again. "You could just call me Bucky."  
  
"Whad did you do do biss off you bareds dat buch?" He shuffles to the couch and gingerly sits down. Stupid Rhodey and his stupid ideas. Now _everything_ hurts and he's acquired a Bucky.  
  
He rests his head against the couch as Bucky goes to the kitchen to do whatever.  
  
When he wakes up he's lying on the couch, under two blankets and his shoes are off. On the table is an assortment of drinks and fruits, all neatly under cling film and accompanied by a note saying "eat up!" Of Bucky there's no trace.  
  
  
It's not easy finding a man in a city as big as New York, when all you have to go on are a nickname and a missing arm. Luckily Tony is as stubborn as he is tall, definitely one of his better traits, don't ask Pepper.  
  
It takes a few weeks, but he finally has the address of one James Buchanan Barnes, after using less than legal means (read hacking into the database of the VA hospital in Brooklyn, but its security is so laughable he's actually doing them a favor. An anonymous hacker will leave an email with detailed instructions to upgrade).  
  
He's standing before a brownstone building, where Bucky should live on the third floor, and he's _not_ pacing nervously. Just, gathering his thoughts. How not to appear creepy stalkerish, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Maybe he should just leave the box at the door? Leave a thank you note with it.  
  
While he's patting his pockets in search of a pen a window opens and Bucky yells out. "Stark! You're gonna ring the bell or what?" Followed by a full belly laugh as Tony _doesn't_ yelp. He doesn't.  
  
The front door buzzes off the lock and Tony has no choice but to go in. Bucky is waiting on the third floor landing, leaning against his door frame.  
  
"You clean up good, doll," he says while eying Tony appreciatively. Which doesn't make Tony's stomach lurch.  
  
What the..? "Just because you're called Buchanan doesn't give you an excuse to talk like you're 90, Barnes."

  
Bucky just winks at him. Winks! This man could be the death of him. He thrusts his gift at Bucky, who catches it awkwardly, being one handed. Tony barely refrains from facepalming himself.  
  
"That's a gift. For you. It's a thank you gift.  For not robbing me. You should have seen the talking to I got from Rhodey, that's the friend who said I should go out with a raging fever, by the way. He nearly popped a vein when I told him I picked up a stranger. Serves him right for giving stupid advice. Anyway, thank you for not robbing me _and_ helping me like you did, I really appreciate it. So I wanted to build you something to help you with, you know. -- Okay, I was going to build you an arm, but Pepper is always going on about that I should try subtle. So I may or may not have the blueprint of an arm. But I'm not going to give it to you, because this is me being subtle."  
  
The various expressions of Bucky during this rant would be comical if Tony wasn't so nervous. During the previous weeks when he couldn't find a trace of a hot one armed guy, he got almost convinced it had been a fever dream. Then when he did find him, Tony was struck by his backstory (he read only a tiny bit before closing the file, because he's _not_ a creepy stalker) and what an amazing person Bucky must be to still reach out like he did. It had nothing to do with the piercing grey eyes and near smirk on Bucky's ID.  
  
The box is an easy to open flip thing, so soon Bucky is looking at a brand new, yet to be released, StarkPhone 6.  
  
"I've loaded it with extras," Tony says lamely, shoving his hands in his pockets. "To thank you, not to be a stalker."  
  
"Glad you cleared that up, doll."  
  
Again with the smirk. It would be much better for Tony's stomach if Bucky would stop smirking, this might develop into a crush. He's totally blaming the fever, probably fried his brain a bit, because 40 something year old men do not have crushes. Therefore it must be brain damage.  
  
"Thank you, Tony, this is real nice of you. Very subtle and all." Okay, he could work with the smirk; this tiny, happy smile though, pierces straight through his poor, old heart. He cannot look away. Because of this Tony nearly misses the next sentence.  
  
"Tracking me down took you longer than I thought."  
  
"Wha… what?"  
  
"You sure took your time, thought finding me would be a piece of cake for a genius like you."  
  
Bucky's eyes light up in mischief, and yes, _this_ is his new favourite expression.  
  
Tony gears up for a token protest, but Bucky puts the phone in his back pocket and pulls Tony to him with his tie. "Glad you did though," he whispers in his ear, sending a chill down Tony's spine.  
  
"You'll be the death of me, you know that right? You saved me so you can kill me softly."  
  
With another full belly laugh Bucky turns and goes inside, leaving Tony weak in the knees again. Must be another fever.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://bill-longbow.tumblr.com)!


End file.
